CHICAGO (AP) - Khalil Mack gave the Bears the lift they needed with the type of big play he had not been delivering.
Mack set up a touchdown with a strip-sack, Allen Robinson had a season-high 131 yards receiving and Chicago beat the struggling New York Giants 19-14 on Sunday.
Trying to salvage something from a disappointing season, the Bears (5-6) bounced back from a loss to the Los Angeles Rams to win for the second time in three games. The Giants (2-9) dropped their seventh straight and clinched their third losing season in a row.
Mack broke through in the third quarter for just his second sack in seven games. Held without a tackle at Los Angeles, the three-time All-Pro nailed Jones deep in New York territory, and Chicago’s Nick Williams recovered at the 3. That led to a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to make it 19-7.
“Turnovers are huge, especially down the stretch,” Mack said. “No surprise that that one was a huge play down the stretch. That’s what we needed to win the game.”
New York cut the lead to five with 4:10 left in the game when Golden Tate hauled in a 23-yard pass on fourth-and-18. The Bears then went three-and-out before Pat O’Donnell pinned the Giants at the 6 with a 61-yard punt, and Chicago hung on from there.
Trubisky threw for a season-high 278 yards, including a touchdown to Robinson, and two interceptions after missing the final drive the previous week because of a right hip pointer. Robinson had six catches, and the defending NFC North champions gave their frustrated fans something to cheer.
“I’m happy we won, but it’s not good enough, not really good enough,” Trubisky said.
SLIDE CONTINUES
Jones was 21 of 36 for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Saquon Barkley ran for 59 yards after rushing for 72, 64, 28 and 1 in his first four games back from a high right ankle sprain.
Aldrick Rosas missed two field goals, and New York fell to 7-20 in two seasons under coach Pat Shurmur.
“It’s tough. No one likes to lose,” Jones said. “Everyone in this locker room, everybody that’s part of the organization, is trying to do what we can to correct it. We got to keep doing that, look at what we’re doing, get better. Right now, it’s not good enough.”
JUMPING AHEAD
The Bears took a 10-7 lead on the opening drive of the third when Trubisky hit Robinson down the middle for a 32-yard TD after New York’s Janoris Jenkins got flagged for holding on third down to keep the drive going.
Robinson also caught a 49-yard strike with Chicago deep in its territory to help set up a 24-yard field goal by Eddy Piñeiro midway through the third, making it 13-7.
Mack then nailed Jones from behind for a strip-sack that Williams recovered at the New York 3, and Trubisky plowed in to make it 19-7.
“It definitely was a big momentum shift,” said linebacker Leonard Floyd, who had pressure on Mack’s sack and was in on the scramble for the loose ball. “Once he made a play, everybody else started making plays, too. It was big for us.”
A 2-point conversion pass to Taylor Gabriel got wiped out by a penalty against Robinson away from the ball. Another penalty by Chicago as Piñeiro missed an extra point led to a 48-yard attempt by him that failed.
COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Trubisky and Robinson had a miscommunication that led to an interception by Alec Ogletree in the end zone late in the first quarter.
“I thought he was going to one thing, he was seeing something else out there and we fixed it, got on the same page later on,” Trubisky said. “Just one of those instances where you can’t force it. We had points in that situation, so I try to give him a chance, but we just weren’t on the same page, and it happens.”
QUOTABLE
“Definitely frustrating. It was another one of those games where we had an opportunity to win and we just couldn’t figure it out. Definitely proud of the team, how we fought.” - Barkley on the loss.
NOTABLE
The Bears have scored touchdowns on their first drive of the second half in five straight games. … Mack’s strip-sack was his 20th career forced fumble and 11th in two seasons with the Bears.
INJURIES
Giants: S Jabrill Peppers (hip) left in the first half and was in pain after the game. He has an MRI scheduled for Monday.
Bears: S Sherrick McManis (groin) left in the second quarter after he was hurt getting blocked on Peppers’ 40-yard punt return. … RT Bobby Massie (ankle) was hurt in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Giants: Host Green Bay next Sunday.
Bears: Visit Detroit on Thursday.
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